Life-Size Renaissance Art at Arts Center

Westport art historian Fiona Garland today discussed Renaissance art at the weekly ArtCafé at the Westport Arts Center, including displaying a life-size print on fabric of “The Ambassadors” (1533), a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. As well as being a double portrait, the painting contains a still life of several meticulously rendered objects, the meaning of which is the cause of much debate. It also incorporates a much-cited example of anamorphosis in painting—defined as “a deformed image that appears in its true shape when viewed in some ‘unconventional’ way.’” It can be seen In the lower half of this picture in the oblong shape, which is the distorted image of a human skull. The skull is meant to be a visual puzzle as the viewer must approach the painting nearly from high on the right side, or low on the left side, to see the form as an accurate rendering of a human skull. It is part of the collection at the National Gallery in London. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com